Window operator



June 6, 1944. A RAPPL WINDOW OPERATOR .Filed Nov. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l A RAPPL wzmow OPERATOR June 6, 1 944.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3d NOV 5, 1940 INVENTOR v Anton RappL van; RNEYS Patented June 6, 1944 2,350,957 WINDOW OPERATOR.

Anton Rappl, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Trice Products Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application November 5, 1940, Serial No. 364,421

' 14 Claims. (01.268-125) This invention relates to a power operated mechanism for the automatic opening and closing of closures or windows such as motor vehicle windows, wherein a motor of either thefluid or the electric type, is utilized to regulate the window. In window mechanisms of this type when the power goes off or is interrupted it is impossible to move the window from an extreme position, and consequently an emergency arises which is not easily dealt with. Y

An object of the present invention is to provide a power operated window or closure mechanism with means by which the source of power when dead or ineffective may be readily disconnected and the window freed or disposed for manual actuation.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which when the source of power is disconnected will move the window from an extreme position in which the free edge of the window is inaccessible to a position which will permit the edge of the window being readily engaged by the hand to facilitate manual movement of the Window to the opposite extreme po sition, more or less.

' In the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary phantom view of a motor vehicle embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an irregular section through the op erating mechanism depicting more clearly the window freeing release;

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view through the window opening spring;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of parts of the transmission; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view through the motor piston.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral l designates a window, which term is used herein to include doors and like closures.

The illustrated closure is the side window of a motor vehicle, which is slidable vertically in guideways 2 for opening and closin adjustment.

' The mechanism for so adjusting the window embodies a lifting arm 3 and a. power arm 4, both pivotally mounted on a common axis 5 and constituting, when locked together, a bell crank lever which is rocked by a motor generally indicated at 6. This motor may be of any desired type, that illustrated being of the fluid t pe and consisting of a chamber 1 and a piston 8, the latter being connected by a rod 9 to the power arm 4. A counterbalance spring [0 of convolute form is anchored on the pivot pin or shaft 5 and has its free end connected to the lift arm 3 so as to counterbalance the weight of the window I.

The two arms of the bell crank lever are detachably locked together in a manner enabling ready disconnectionwhen it is desired to release or free the window from the motor, such as when the motor is dead. and it is desired to open or close the window. According to the illustrated embodiment one of the levers is provided with a quadrant-like extension it having akeeper notch or seat l2 while the companion arm is provided with an angular, extension is turned down at its outer end to provide a guide flange.

M overhanging the concentric margin of the quadrant extension H. The extension is is provided with a hearing or opening 55 adapted to register with the notch i2. A look bolt or pin I 6' is slidable in this hearing l5 and is projected into and retracted from the keeper notch-by suitable means such as the plate I i to which it may be connected. This lock plate may be of spring stock and secured to the extension lit by means of the rivets l8, or it may be otherwise mounted for the bolt imparting movement. A stop shoulder It on the quadrant ii is engageable bytl'ie guide flange it to limit relative movement between the arms in one direction and to determine the point of registry between the bolt and its keeper notch. A spring is may bear on the outer side of the lock plate to urge the lock bolt to its operative position, the spring being held in place by a retaining pin 20. The lock plate overhangs the extension Hi to an extent sufficient to overlie a releasing button 2i which is springv retracted and adapted to be manually depressed to lift the lock plate and thereby disengage the lock pin from the keeper numb. l2.

' The lock plate is sufiiciently wide to he operatively related to the release button in all positions of the window.

In the sliding window of the present day automobile the upper edge is received in a groove or seat in the window frame and when the window is closed this edge is embedded mal ring it inaccessible. Therefore, if the motor should be dead and it is desired to openthe window the motorist i handicapped by not being able to accomplish this in a ready manner. With the release mechanism just described it is possible to grasp the window on opposite sides between the palms of the'hands and push it downwardly since the window itself is freed from the motor.

To facilitate this manual opening of the win,- dow means are-provided to mechanically move the same automatically to a partially opened poenable the motorist inserting his hand in the window opening and over the upper edge whereby he may quickly move the window downwardly to a fully opened position. This may be accomplished bya power means which is normally dormant or inactive and is herein depicted as comprising a spring motor having a spring 22.

A link 23 is pivoted at 24 on one of the arms and has its opposite end portion slidable in 'a' yoke 25 pivoted on the companion arm. The slidable end of the arm protrudes through the Further expansion of the spring is prevented by the shoulder 28 as the link is projected further through the yoke during the subsequent manual opening movement of the window, thelink mere- 1y sliding in the yoke as the arms 3 and d move relative to each other. When the lock is operative the spring 22 is inactive with respect to the window, remaining dormant but ready for opening the window when next released.

When the release is efiected the spring-will move the lift arm downwardly to open the window a slight distance, such as one or two inches, sufliciently to'enable the insertion of the fingers over the upper edge of the glass. The window may .then be easily moved manually to its fully opened position free and independent of the motor. When the button 2! is released the pin it will merely ride on the face of the quadrant extension H, and when the motor is next placed in operation and brings the lock pin into registry with the keeper notch it the spring lock plate ll, herein supplemented by the spring it], will re-lock the two arms together against the action of the spring 22.

The power transmitting connection between the motor and the window will obviously depend upon the type of motor employed and preferably involve means to prevent the unauthorized opening of the window from the outside. In the electric drive a worm gearin may be. used for this purpose but in the more simplified fluid drive illustrated a clutch or brake is incorporated in the piston construction, as set forth more fully in application Serial 347,941, filed by me outwardly. This braking construction does not, however, prevent the movement of the piston rod in the opposite direction by any force applied to the window for closing the same.

Beneath the washer 21 the p In this connection it will be observed that upon depressing the release button 2| to disenga e the lock bolt from its keeper recess, should the window be frozen or otherwise jammed in a closed position so that the opening spring 22 would be unable to overcome the abnormal resistance offeted, the said spring will nevertheless act upon the power arm 8 and move the piston inwardly a slight distance by reasonof the clearance at the end of the piston chamber and this clearance will be suiilcient to bring the recess out of registry with the bolt so that the motorist may then release the button 2| and the bolt will merely ride upon the side face or the quadrant II. with the arms 3 and 4 thus the window may be grasped between the palms of the hands and efio'rt placed upon the window" to overcome such abnormal resistance.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the window or closure operating mechanism will be automatic in its operation in the usual manner,- the power being transmitted from the motor through the rigid hell crank. to open and close the window, as desired. Should the engine be turned ad or, ii for any other reason the motor jointly with Erwin c. orton. This is generally illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein-the piston has a section 30 fixed on the piston rod 9 and a floatin section 3| which'is movable'relative thereto. The brake shoes 29 are interposed between the fixed and floating piston sections and have cam surfaces 32 opposing cam surfaces 33 on the hubof the fixed section. Rollers 34 ride on and between the cooperating cam surfaces to expand I the shoes against the chamber wall when an outwill act through the rollers and push the rod should fail and it is desired to open the windowthe release button 22 is pushed to disengage the parts 3 and d from the transmission whereupon the spring 22 will function topartially open the window and thereafter the hand may be placed over the upper edge of the window to pull the window down to its more or less full opened position. This is accomplished without the drag of the motor since the window is free and disconnected therefrom. When the motor is again placed in operation the parts 3 and i will be automatically coupled.

In the illustrated embodiment the motor is adapted for operation by suction or subatmospheric prmsure, such as that developed in the intake) manifold of the motor vehicle engine. Suction is preferably applied to both sides of the piston simultaneously by'means of the conduits 3d and 35 which are equipped with venting con- When either valve is' trol vaives as and 3?. opened the corresponding end of the chamber 3 will be vented to the atmosphere and thereby provlde the required pressure difierentlal for the actuation of the piston.

Certain windows of the modern car, such as the front side windows, are fully received within the window wells of the vehicle doors. Consequently, by a reversal of the foregoing arrange- 'ment the invention may be employed to project the upper edge of the glass from the well to permit the manual lifting of the window when the 'motoris dead.

. While the foregoing description has been given in detail, it is merely illustrative of the inventive principles involved which may be applied to other physicaL embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention claimed.

I claim:

1. Window. operating mechanism including a window lifting member operable to slide a connected window vertically, a power member detachably connected to the lifting member, a

motor operatively connected to the power memher, a spring connecting the two members under tension and operable to'impartwindow actuating movement to the lifting member independently of the other when the two members are detached from each other, and means for detaching the lifting member from the power member.

2. Window operating mechanism including a window lifting member operable to slide a connected window vertically, a power member, a lock means carried by one member and detachably engaged in a keeper recess in the other member to detachably connect the two members, a motor operatively connected to the power member, a spring connecting the two members under tension and operable to rotate the lifting .member and thereby actuate a connected window when the members are detached from each other, said members being mounted on a common axis for pivoting, and a manually operable member for disengaging the lock means from the recess to free the window from the motor.

3. A window having an arm connected at one end thereto, means pivotally mounting the arm at the opposite end, a power arm pivotally mounted coaxially adjacent the first arm, means detachably coupling the two arms for movement in unison in the manner of a bell crank, a spring connecting the two arms to impart movement to the first arm relative to the second arm when uncoupled therefrom, and the power means operatively connected to the power arm for moving the same to actuate the window, said coupling -means acting when operative to render the spring inoperative.

4. In a closure operating mechanism. a bell crank lever having relatively movable arm parts with means detachably connecting the parts for movement as a bell crank unit, counter-balance means for the unit acting to counterbalance the closure to which one of the arm parts is connectible, a drive operatively connected to the -companion arm part and embodying means to lock the latter against closure imparted movement of said companion arm part, and means normally restrained by said connecting means against exerting any counteracting force on the counterbalance means, said restrained means acting on the closure arm part upon disconnection of the arm parts b said connecting means for moving said closure arm part a predetermined distance to effect movement of the closure independently of the locked companion arm part.

during motor adjustment of the window and automatically operable by and upon such disconnection to move the window to a predetermined opened position short of its fully opened position.

6. Window operating mechanism including a window lifting member operable to actuate a connected window, a power member detachably contaching the lifting member from the power memfree the member from the motor, and a second motorwholly carried by said member and transmission means and operable to move the member when freed to a window opened position, said second motor being normally restrained by said second means and automatically effective upon the freeing of said member by said second means.

8. A window operator comprising a motor, transmission means operatively connecting the motor to a window for moving the same, means for controlling the operation of the motor, means manually operable to disrupt the transmission means to free the window from the motor for manual movement when the motor is dead, and a second motor connected to the window and normally inoperative thereon but automatically operable by and upon the disruption of the transmission means by the manual means whereby to dispose the window in other than a fully closed position to enable such manual movement. I

9. Window operating mechanism comprising, in combination with a window, a motor, transmission means operatively connecting the motor to the window and including means for locking the window shut, said transmission means including a unit comprising relatively movable parts and means normally acting to hold said parts against relative movement, means operable to render said holding means inoperative, and means normally restrained by said holding means from exerting any counteracting force on the motor and automatically operable when said holding means is inoperative for eifecting relative movement between said parts in disregard to said locking means to move the window from one limit of its movement, wherein it is inaccessible, to a position accessible for manual operation.

10. Window operating mechanism comprising, in combination with a window, a motor, transmission means operatively connecting the motor to the window and including means for locking the window shut, manually controlled means operable to render the lock inefi'ective on the window to permit manual opening movement of the nected to the lifting member and operatively connectible to a motor, a spring connecting the two members under tension and operable to impart window actuating movement to the lifting member. independently of the other when the two members are detached from each other, said spring being normally inactive and movable with the two members as a unit, and means for delatter, and normally restrained means releasable by said manually controlled means to concurrently effect an opening of the window to an accessible position independently of the motor for being manually grasped.

11. Window operating mechanism comprising, in combination with a window, a drive, a power transmission operatively connecting tlie drive to the window, a clutch operable for locking the window, emergency means operable to render the clutch ineflective on the window to free the latter and thereby enable the window being ma- Y nipulated manually although the clutch is locked, and means normally restrained by said first means and releasable thereby to open the window upon the freeing of the latter by said first means, the normally restrained means being unail'ected by the drive operation of the window.

. 12. In a window regulator and particularly a power operated regulator, the combination of a window regulator mechanism, including the 4 parts at the load end of the mechanism and the parts at the power end of the mechanism,

a clutch operating to be released by the opera-,

tion of the power parts of the regulator mechanism to lock the window in position. a releasable connection for tying the power parts to the load parts to permit movement of the window in an emergency although the clutch is locked, and means normally ineffective on the window and operable by and upon rendering said releasable connection inoperative to open the window upon the untying of the power parts from the load parts by said releasable connection. 7

13. In a. window regulator and particularly one of the power operated type, the combination of a load arm, a power arm, the two pivoted on the same axis but having a connection between each other which can be released, a clutch in; nor- -mally locking the power arm and load am cameo? against movement by efiort originating in the load arm, means for rendering the clutch inoperative, and means normally restrained by said releasable connection and operable to open the window whenthe releasable connection is actuated to disconnect one arm from the other.

14. In a motor vehicle, a window, a. motor, means operatively connecting the motor to the window for opening and closing the same and including a clutch for locking the window closed, manual means operable to render the clutch ineffective on the window to free the latter whereby the window may be mandally operated although the clutch is locked, and means normally ineffective upon the window and releasable to open the window by and during the operation of said manual means.

AHTON RAPPL. 

